Before I give you a step-by-step guide to writing title tags, let's define what they actually are and see why they are important. When you look at a web page in your browser, the writing in the blue strip above browser's commands (file, edit, view, etc.) is the title tag. On your actual html document the title tag is in the head portion between the notation <title> and </title> .

The title tag is important because it "tells" the search engine what the page is about, and in the case of your main page, what your website is all about. I remember back in my school days that we used to take standardized examinations in which we had to read a story and then answer the question: "What would be the best title for this essay?" Choosing a title tag is something like answering this kind of question. You've got to pick out the gist of your enterprise and highlight it in a sentence. So, take a look at your web page and get ready to begin, following these steps:

Submitting a request for proposal (RFP) or request for information (RFI) for search engine optimization (SEO) is standard for mid-to-large sized companies. It can be a daunting and seemingly impossible task to decipher the information you receive from multiple agencies and extract the gems from the status quo. The good news is that there are best practices for SEO you can consider when evaluating a proposal that can help you disqualify certain contenders quickly and bring the most relevant and qualified candidates to the next level –- the presentation. Let me take a step back for a minute and explain why, exactly, you should obtain an SEO proposal.

Who should get an SEO proposal? - I am going to cite examples throughout this article that are really aimed at mid-to-large-sized companies. Small companies who can only afford, say, $1000-$3000 for their total SEO project (generally provided by a microscopic-sized SEO firm or a consultant) simply cannot cover the depth of services that a large company ($5,000-10,000 plus per month for SEO services) enjoys. While it is still important for the smallest of companies to obtain, at the very least, an estimate for SEO services, it is the large, multi-faceted jobs that obviously cost the most money, and it can be difficult to understand what companies can truly handle complex SEO jobs if you don’t have a thorough understanding of the industry.

Thus, it is helpful to educate yourself about key industry practices in order to do an apples to apples comparison of the SEO proposals you receive. These are things that should inherently be included and, if they are not, should most definitely be addressed at some point either during the presentation or before signing any contracts. If you’ve done any research at all, you’re probably familiar with some or all of the issues addressed in this article. My aim is not only to define them, but to arm with you with enough knowledge to help you identify what companies actually address the issues you need addressed, and what companies offer just smoke and mirrors.

Strategy is key - An SEO project, no matter how small, should include some kind of up front strategy prior to implementation. Strategy is typically addressed at the start of the proposal with some or all of the following components included as part of the strategic planning process.

Methodology - The more information that is included about methodology, e.g., how the actual work will get done and what exactly is involved in doing it, the better. It is understandable that SEOs do not want to give away all of their methodology before you sign on the dotted line, but you should absolutely understand and comply with the techniques that will be applied to your website. I personally believe in giving as much information as possible so that there are no doubts about how I would approach a project (strictly white hat, for example). An SEO vendor’s methodology should be summarized somewhere in the proposal in such a way that it addresses the following issues.

How are pages optimized? - Ideally, this section will address specific techniques and methodologies employed by the SEO, including such things as what tags are optimized (Meta, Title, Alt, and so on), how on-page content is optimized (e.g., heading tags, bold text, and so forth) and anything else relevant to page/site optimization, such as internal linking structure. Look for examples that are specific to your website –- this demonstrates that the agency has done its homework and is a good sign that service will be customized to your specific needs.

How are code changes addressed with the client? - It should be clearly delineated somewhere in writing how code changes will be implemented. Will the SEO or agency make the changes directly to the site (this is pretty rare) or work with your programming team to get the changes implemented? If it’s the latter, how will the changes be communicated to the programmers?

What quality control processes are in place? - Quality control for SEO is a straightforward process and should be spelled out somewhere in the proposal. Essentially, you want to ensure that the code changes and SEO tweaks you’ve reviewed and approved have been implemented appropriately. Enough time should be built into the project implementation schedule to cover review of all optimized text and tags to ensure that 1) there are no spelling mistakes or typos and 2) nothing is missing or in the wrong place.

Are complex SEO barriers addressed? - Flash navigation, dynamic URLs, frame-based designs and other SEO nightmares should be addressed before the work begins. This is particularly relevant for complex database-driven sites with thousands of pages of content, as well as e-commerce or retail sites. If you have a website like this, it is critical that the proposal addresses the problem of dynamic pages and complex URLs head-on. Case studies and proven successes with past clients should absolutely be included, so if they are not, then be sure to ask for them. For large companies that seek to centralize all SEO services with one agency, be sure to get specific examples of experience with SEO localization –- not every agency can handle this type of account.

How is the newly optimized site submitted to and/or indexed by search engines? - The how and why of site submission need not be addressed in extreme detail in a proposal. However, it should be stated somewhere that either the SEO will submit your website to search engines (or engage in link placement and directory submission to expedite indexing), or you are responsible for this (if it’s the latter, run screaming from the room). Any fees associated with site submission should be noted at this point (e.g., Yahoo’s $299 yearly fee for commercial site submission into their directory). Agencies that address link placement in comprehensive detail are promising; be sure to flag proposals that present concrete examples and methodology for building inbound links.

How are results tracked? - Tracking and reporting are essential components to any SEO project, and both should be addressed in an SEO proposal. The basic metrics tracked (e.g., ranking, site traffic and conversions) should be stated along with the frequency and type of reporting (e.g., weekly Excel spreadsheets, real-time web-based reporting, and so on). It is also a good idea to request a sample report with the proposal. Find out whether report customization is an option.

What assumptions, if any, are included in the methodology? - It is assumed that the client is accountable for complying with certain requests and/or providing certain information to the SEO in order for optimization to be a success. All assumptions should be stated up front to avoid miscommunications once the project has begun. For example, it might be assumed that all site changes will be made within ten days of submission by the SEO in order to comply with the approved timeline. It may also be assumed that the client will provide access to website traffic stats and past historical search data (if available).

Pricing - A proposal should include the total project cost as well as a breakdown of the hours needed to complete each phase of the project. Vendors vary widely in how they represent this information. The exception to this is very large, complex SEO projects which must be heavily customized based on the client’s needs. For these types of very large SEO projects, pricing may not be included with the proposal simply because it is easier to present it during a vendor pitch, where each facet of the project can be explained fully to the client.

For smaller projects of about $1000 to $5000, a price breakdown should be included with the proposal. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification regarding pricing and how it applies to each step of the process. If you’re truly trying to do an apples-to-apples comparison, then request an hourly itemization of each step so you can understand how much time is allotted for each line item.

Itemized proposals also enable you to whittle them down so they fit into your budget. Just keep in mind that if you do that, a good SEO may refuse the job since a certain amount of time is necessary to do the job well.

Customization - Good SEO proposals are always customized and relevant to your website. Any SEO worth his or her salt will have taken the time to thoroughly interview you in order to understand your unique needs, goals and expectations. They will also have spent a bit of preliminary time looking through your website, evaluating where you stand in the search results and gaining some insight into what that means for your particular industry. A good proposal will clearly communicate that the SEO has done their homework by providing concrete examples on how SEO will be implemented and how your specific goals will be measured and reached.

Never settle for prepackaged one-size-fits-all pricing or a broad hourly rate that is not attached to a detailed proposal. It is a mistake to agree to paying someone hourly to do the work before understanding what's involved. After all, you’d never hire a general contractor to work for 30 hours per week rebuilding your kitchen, because there’s always the possibility that you’d run out of money before it’s done and no one wants to get stuck with half a kitchen. The same goes for SEO. Understanding exactly what steps are involved, how long they will take to complete and how much they cost are the essential ingredients to a good proposal and will insure that both client and vendor are happy with the outcome of the work.

Do you wonder why your site does not receive the traffïc you believe it deserves? The only people visiting your website are current customers. Where are the new customers the web designer promised you? One of the most overlooked steps in creation of a website is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). We like to think that search engines will crawl our website and shazaam, like magic, we appear at the top of the results for our keywords. Unfortunately, it rarely works that way. We need to build relationships or "links" to our sites. While this can be a daunting endeavor, it can be very rewarding.

We are going to look at link building theory and practice. How do you let the world, more accurately the web, know you are open for business? Where do you begin building links? What about link building software? What are directories? Who are your top competitors? Who links to them? How do you ask for a link? Do you want reciprocal links? How many links do you need? These are the questïons all website owners and link builders need to answer.

Search engines look at links as votes. The more links your website has, the more votes it has to be number 1, or the "authority" on your subject matter. Not all links are created equal. Links from more popular websites are weighted heavier then links from less popular sites. Search engines are smart enough to know that content is related, so, links from relevant sites are more important then links from sites which are irrelevant.

The link text will help you rank better for your keywords. If possible get into the major directories. Avoid FFA's or "Free For All" link farms.

How Do You Let The World Know You Are Open For Business? - PR or public relations. The way most link builders will approach this is to create a press release that is disseminated to the right people. How do we know we reach the right people? In a recent talk with Eric Ward, the father of link building, I learned that most of the press release web services allow a person to subscribe to items that interest them. If a person runs a widget website and is interested in widgets, they will receive any press release that is related to widgets. Often, they may list the new widget information on their own website. That's an easy link. The press release itself is another link. Yes, it may cost a bit of money to draft and the service may not be free, but you have built several links with a simple press release.

Link Building Software - Link building software automates the task of collecting relevant sites and their contact information, based on keywords. Many of the available software packages include an automatic contact manager that allows you to contact sites with very little effort. It is generally excepted that you should not use the automatic contact features. Instead use the software to identify sites and contact them manually. Many webmasters feel the automated emails to be sp@m and will reject, with prejudice, any site that asks for a link using them. Software should be used in addition to other link building strategies.

The Directories - The major pay for inclusion directories include Yahoo and Business.com. These directories charge to be included in their database of websites. They are often used by major search engines to help determine rank. Don't forget the free directories such as the ODP and joeant.com. The ODP (Open Directory Project) is at http://dmoz.org. They are selective on the sites they include. Not all websites will be able to obtain a link at the ODP. joeant.com on the other hand is very easy to get into. You will have to join to enter your site into their database, it's very easy to do, and is a super easy link to obtain.

Who Are Your Top Competitors? - It is important to seek out your top competitors, the websites that are ranking on the first page of search results for your keywords. Knowing who is at the top, and who links to them is the first and foremost part of link building.

Who Links To Them? - Returning to our link building is like life analogy, imagine you operate a linen laundry. As a linen laundry owner, you wouldn't want to network with people who are involved in high technology or manufacturing. You would want to network with people who are in the hospitality or closely related industries. Restaurants, hotels or people who interact with them on a frequent basis. That is if we have a website that deals with the latest widgets and widget reviews, we wouldn't want to waste time seeking links from automobile manufacturers (unless the widgets are automobile related). We want links from other widget and widget related websites.

The easiest way to determine who is linking to your top competitors is to use the link: command in your search engine of choice. The Google link command seems to be broken, so use a search engine other then Google. For an example we will use a fictional company Widgetreviews, with the URL of http://www.widgetreviews.com. Widgetreviews is at the top of the search engines for your search term "widget reviews". Because of this, we want to see who links to Widgetreviews. Just enter "link: www.widgetreviews.com" (without quotation marks) into your favorite SE, other then Google of course.

Editor's Note: The Google link command was working when checked by SiteProNews.

Follow this procedure for the top 5 or 6 sites that use your keywords. Compile a list competitor websites and their incoming links. We will use the list as a source for our link building strategy.

Asking For A Link - We now have a list of website pages that link to widgetreviews and so can see if we can get our site listed on the page as well. You will need to visit the pages listed. It is important that when you write an email to a webmaster that it is obvious you have visited the site yourself and that it is not a machine generated email (sp@m). You will need to determine the email address of the person you need to send your request to. Be sure to state why you deserve to be listed on their page, as well as a few compliments about their website, and your contact information. Be courteous and succinct. Most webmasters have little time to deal with their daily tasks. Most important, ask for link text that uses your keywords, not your company name. Using our widget example, you would ask for a link with the text "widget reviews", or in HTML Widget Reviews.

Reciprocal Links - Generally, reciprocal links are not weighted as heavily as non reciprocal links. I usually only offer a reciprocal link if I really want a link from a high traffïc site that demands a reciprocal link.

How Many Links Do You Need? - Your work at link building will never end. The good news is that as your site becomes an authority on your subject matter, websites will link to you on their own.

Your Options - You have three options when it comes to link building. Hire someone, don't worry about it or Do It Yourself.

The first option is a good option, but, it can be very expensive. Professional link builders often charge $20 a link + the cost of the link (yes, websites sell links). As you can see, this can add up quickly. Building a hundred links through a professional link builder could easily cost $2,000!

The don't worry about it option doesn't cost a thing. But, don't expect any traffïc. The World Wide Web is a collection of links. Each site pointing to other sites. Without links, your otherwise brilliant and insightful website will slowly die a horrible lonely death.

This article is written with the DYI'er in mind. I wish you good luck in your link building adventures!

Essentially, that's where the power of advertising is going. It's all about Search. And Search is only going to become more important over the next ten years. If you can get on that coveted first page organically, well then, more power to you! I know you probably have read other articles about writing SEO copy and how it relates to achieving high search rankings, there are plenty of them to go around. But some of the articles are complicated; some are too long, others boring. Still others don't explain that great SEO copy is rarely effective just on it's own - in order to get those high rankings (which is the goal after all), you have to do other things too. So, we decided that what most people really needed was a "down and dirty", easy to understand, ten step method. You ask, and we deliver. Below are the official ten steps in order:

1) Check your Competitors - Who are your competitors? Do you know? If you don't, you may want to go online and do a search for your product or service. .......... Take a look at their website. Notice the copy. Analyze their business. ...

2) Research your Keyword Phrases - Remember, Keyword Phrase research is critically important. It can also be a little tricky. ...

3) Write Good Copy - Now it's time to start writing. Or re-writing. ...The bottom line is to write about benefits, not features. ... Make the copy to the point and snappy. Make it sure it has impact, and asks the potential customer for their business.

4) Integrate Your Keyword Phrases - After you figure out which keyword phrases you want to use on your site, you need to integrate them into the copy of your site. It's not that hard actually.

5) Check your Links, Build if necessary - Do you have any inbound links pointing to your site? If not, no amount of awesome copy is going to get your site high rankings. Links are very important. ...

6) Use Go Rank's Analytical Tools - GoRank.com is a fantastic free resource for SEO.

7) Submit to the Search Engines - After you've ensured that your website copy and all the other important SEO considerations have been completed, it's time to submit to the Search Engines. Do it manually.

8) Tweak the Copy as necessary, Add New Content - After your site has been up for a while, go back and take a second look. Ask friends and customers what they think of it. ..... The other thing that you should also be doing is adding content regularly. ... Adding articles to your site is a great way to give your customers new, free content.

9) Partner with a Great SEO Firm - You may want to also consider partnering with a great Search Engine Optimization firm. There are probably a hundred very good ones out there. There are also 1000 bad ones. For the good ones, check-out TopSEOs.com and MarketingSherpa.com. They both list reputable firms.

10) Measure Your Success! - Finally, measure your success (or progress). Get a software program that will provide you with some web metrics as it pertains to your site.

MSN - Microsoft Teams Up with Pictometry to Bring Us MSN Virtual Earth. Combining Microsoft's MapPoint technology with imagery from Pictometry, MSN Virtual Earth has already mapped 132 U.S. counties and plans to offer its users all sorts of image choices ranging from flat cartography to 3-D oblique.

Yahoo - On May 27th, Yahoo announced a test of their new intent-driven search concept, called Mindset. The idea is that many people will typically want to do one of two distinct actions while searching:

Yahoo! Search Marketing - Overture has now Become Yahoo! Search Marketing Solutions.
Ask Jeeves On May 25th, Ask Jeeves rolled out two new search innovations designed to, in the words of (Ask Jeeves' Senior Vice President of Search Properties) Jim Lanzone, ... ...decrease the number of people who come to search and can't find what they want.